Visual Identity / Naming / COPYWRITING / Research
Strategy and signage design concept for Sears clearance department
Challenge
While doing an internship at Sears I was assigned to develop a new visual identity for the clearance department.
Because Sears already had purchased thousands of preprinted yellow price signs, the design needed to utilize them to avoid reprinting costs. The design required to be aligned with the current Sears brand guidelines, color palette, and typography; and work together with the price-signs that are printed in-store by employees.
How might we reinvent the Sears clearance signage to highlight the value of clearance products and encourage customers to shop?
Design Audit
An analysis of past, current, and discarded clearance designs was conducted. Multiple field visits were also done to Sears stores in the Chicago area, including the prototype store in which all new signs and floor layouts are tested.
Findings:
- Incoherent design
- Lack of storytelling
- Overuse of signs
- Black and yellow color scheme
- Elements don't work together
- Open to renaming
Discarded clearance designs
Research
Secondary Research
I conducted online research to better understand the psychology behind sales, consumer buying behavior, stores signs and color usage on retail.
Field Visits and Observations
To understand the competitive landscape I visited stores with similar target audiences likes Macy's, JCP, and Kohl's. And stores that are currently famous for their value like H&M and Express ; and peers like TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, and Target.
Findings:
- Multi-purpose add-on signs.
- Special name for clearance events.
- Big price signs.
- Prominent red color schemes.
- Special name for clearance events.
- Big price signs.
- Prominent red color schemes.
Analysis and Insights
After affinity mapping, 3 main insights were found:
New Offers, New Members
Customers are open to trying new products and go to stores when there are low-prices.
Value Over Price
Low-priced products can be associated with low-quality, thus highlighting product value is more important than before.
I don't spend, I save
When purchasing products on sale, customers focus on what they save and not on what they spend.
Solution
Based on the idea that buyers focus on savings when buying items at a reduced price, I proposed a concept called "Yellow Cuts."
"Yellow Cuts" aims to take advantage of the thousands of yellow cards the company purchased and intentionally associate the color with the sale. By doing so, customers will now understand that yellow means big savings without the negative connotation of clearance cheap products.
Copywriting and Interaction
The concept presents a unique language that plays with the idea of cutting. Phrases like "Price Cuts, Bag Musts" and "Cut in Half, Must Have" encourage customers to buy discounted merchandise.
Since price cards are printed in-store, designers cannot have full design control over them. The proposed signs are designed to interact with these pre-printed cards by featuring a cutting line in the center that reinforces the concept.
